Cheesy Cauliflower alla Vodka Casserole – Low Carb

This low carb cauliflower casserole recipe has been on my list of things to work on for months but I kept putting it off in favor of more Summer friendly recipes. I finally tested it out the other day because I had all of the ingredients, but didn’t plan on posting it until this fall when comfort food reigns supreme again.

After the first bite it was so amazing that I immediately bumped it to the top of my calendar because I simply couldn’t wait to share it with you! Once you taste it you’ll know why!

If you’re making your vodka sauce from scratch (this is my favorite recipe), it’s the perfect way to use up some of those ripe, summer tomatoes – but you can also use a good quality store bought sauce like I did for expediency (read: get it into your face faster!)

Mr. Hungry and I have always been huge fans of Penne alla Vodka and have eaten it in some of the best restaurants in New York, including the very exclusive Rao’s in Harlem thanks to a friend who works for someone with a table there (everything we ate that night was amazing by the way.)

After going low carb and gluten free, Penne alla Vodka is one of the things I miss most when we eat out at Italian restaurants now. Mr. Hungry orders it often still and it’s hard for me to resist every time – if I’m being honest sometimes I don’t, but I usually regret it the next day.

Though if I ever get a chance to eat at Rao’s again, I will definitely be chowing down on some of their Penne alla Vodka (without regret!) along with their amazing meatballs and seafood salad! Aaaaaaand now I’m starving.

Anyway, this low carb penne alla vodka casserole recipe using cauliflower to stand in for the pasta is a surprisingly good substitute – just as hearty and satisfying as the real thing in my opinion. I added loads of Parmesan cheese and I think it really makes it, so don’t skimp there and use a good quality cheese for the best flavor.

Another important note is to make sure your cauliflower is very well drained before adding it to the casserole or you’ll end up with a bland, watery sauce. I microwaved my cauliflower, which dries it out nicely, but even then I could have let it drain in a colander after cooking for a bit.

In fact I wish I had, because the next day I had to drain some liquid out of the casserole that had leached out of the cauliflower overnight. Still delicious, just diluted a little – so be sure to dry out your cauliflower as much as possible before mixing it with the sauce.

This is the perfect low carb vegetarian main meal or side dish, but you could also add cooked chicken or shrimp to this recipe to make it even more hearty and turn it into a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love.

Even Mr. Hungry was surprised at how good it smelled – he made the statement “you can’t smell the cauliflower at all” which is high praise because the man really detests cauliflower in all forms and can’t even stand the smell of it when I cook it for myself.

If I could actually get him to eat it then I’d really be celebrating, but…baby steps.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

I loved this recipe! Made it last night after first putting the cauliflower on a hot grill for 10 min with a little olive oil wrapped in foil. Turned 5 min more, then continued with your recipe. It was absolutely delicious! Thanks!

Made this for 6 people when we had company. They ate every last bite. I roasted the cauliflower for a long time to get the water out plus the roasting adds a nice texture. Also added some sautéed onions.

8 cups cooked cauliflower is called for. Your two heads must have been much more than that for this to turn out dry. Follow the recipe exactly next time and measure your ingredients and I’m sure you’ll have better results.

I made this with rotisserie chicken and it was good. But I made it again last night with Italian sausage and it was fantastic! The seasoning in the sausage gave the casserole so much flavor. I made it with one pound of Italian sausage, but next time I think I’ll use 1.5 pounds (husband is a carnivore). Big hit in the family. Thanks for this recipe!

I made the vodka sauce from your link. Amazing. And roasted the cauliflower. However, when the dish came out of the oven, there was a lot of liquid on the bottom. Not sure what to do to reduce the liquid. Maybe use canned tomatoes without the liquid?

Unless the vodka sauce was very runny it’s likely that your cauliflower is what released the liquid – next time try microwaving it or roasting it long enough to evaporate more of the water from it before adding the sauce.

Ok, I did find the vodka sauce and made this over the holidays and man oh man, it was a hit at my house. What a wonderful idea to use cauliflower instead of pasta. Now i can have a second serving without the guilt ! :)

I roasted the cauliflower w/salt, pepper, minced garlic (25 mins @ 440). Browned 1# italian sausage. Mixed it all up with shredded SMOKED provolone. And served w/red pepper flakes. YUMMMM! I have saved literally every recipe you have posted in the past 3 months!

Absolutely yummy. I made the sauce as per the link provided and it is great. I don’t know if the vodka added any favor or if it’s just fun to say that there’s vodka in it. I added three cubed chicken breasts for a little more substance and my picky 14 y/o daughter even ate two plates full even though it was “a little too spicy.” I could eat this all of the time.

A very good recipe, but I made a few changes. First, I used 6 cups of cauliflower (frozen) and 2 cups of shredded chicken. Maybe it was the change, but it came out a little dry, so next time I will use a extra cup of Vodka Sauce.

NOTE: If you are really watching your carbs, like during Atkins induction phase, be very careful about which brand of sauce you use. I picked up a Newman’s Own, and it had 9+ grams of net carbs per serving. I then looked at a Rao’s (or another higher end brand) and it was about 2 grams of net carbs per serving. A MAJOR difference. Admittedly the higher end sauce was $3 or $4 more per jar.

Just a few changes: If you use store bought Vodka sauce then be careful on adding the salt…Many store bought sauces already have a ton of salt and the dish can become over salted. We preferred covering the dish with Mozzarella cheese s. the provolone.

So yummy and I really don’t like cauliflower! My son (who had already eaten) said it smelled delicious and my husband loved it! I did make my own vodka sauce and added prosciutto and onion which was great. Thanks for sharing such a fabulous recipe.

I made this for dinner and it was GREAT! I used frozen cauliflower that I microwaved and then heated in a pan to get extra water out. This also allowed for easy way to melt butter. I also added Shrimp and Prosciutto. I made my own sauce based on the recipe you linked to (thank you). The only thing I changed is I used more hot pepper, and canned coconut milk instead of half and half because that is what I had. Even husband really really liked it!! He said he will put sun-dried tomatoes when we heat up left overs. Thanks again!

New to your site and this looks delicious! I’ve never heard of vodka sauce and was wondering if I could substitute something else? I know it wouldn’t be the same, but I can’t drink alcohol. Would a simple tomato sauce work in place? TIA

Made this this evening. I was short two cups of cauliflower, so I subbed in 2 cups sliced zucchini and tried to drain as much water as I could. I also had to use mozzarella in place of the parm because I forgot to get some from the grocery store.

This was so yummy. Right up my alley and better than just making a basic marinara sauce bake. Thanks for a great recipe!!!

Oh! Forgot to tell you that I discovered a way to make cauliflower less stanky… My hub also hates the smell…. I put a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water, steamed, covered in microwave 12 minutes, as you suggested. The vinegar worked, at least this first time. Hub came in a did not smell cauliflower cooking! Win!

Wow Mellissa! You did not overstate how good this recipe is. I have never had this in a restaurant so it was a first. This is an outstanding meal. I added chicken, as you suggested. I also made the sauce you linked. Looking forward to trying Italian Sausage next time from reading other poster reviews. Thank you so much for excellent, tasty keto recipes! I try many of your excellent suggestions and look forward to all the new posts.

I made the cheesy cauliflower ala vodka you know what tonight and my mom who has become very fussy at 82, practically licked her plate!!!! It was sooooooooooo goooood. Thank you Mellissa! Guess what’s for lunch tomorrow?

Hey Melissa! I made this tonight and OMG DELICIOUS!! I added chicken and substituted 1 1/2 tbsp of jalapenos pepper cream cheese for the whipping cream. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I think it would not only be good with shrimp but also hot italian sausage!! Thanks for this recipe. 😄

I was known for my Penna ala vodka carbonara back in the early 90s…My college friends would call it heart attack on a plate. It was really more a half red/half alfredo with bacon sauce versus a real carbonara..but hey, it looked and sounded fancy…LOL.. I just roasted the cauliflower with garlic and bacon, made my vodka sauce using your Easy Keto Marinara.. and now this is roasting in my oven…and i CANNOT wait to eat this tonight… THANK YOU MELISSA for inspiring us all…

I love your recipes. I use frozen cauliflower most of the time,cook as directed, in the plastic bag, then dump onto a kitchen towel and literally twist it dry. I make my cauli-mashed taters with salt and an ounce of cream cheese. I want you to try Joseph’s Flax Seed pita bread, only available from wal-mart, in the deli section. Poke with a fork on each side, micro for 2 minutes then make a pizza broiled on bottom shelf of oven. Also half the pita and micro for 30 sec, then open up so it doesn’t stick together and it makes a great taco or sandwich. 60 calories and 4 net carbs. I’ll be watching to see what you do with them!! You go girl!

Hi Mary, thanks for the recommendation but unfortunately I can’t eat flax seeds anymore because they make my throat close up! It sounds like a great option for those who can tolerate them though, thanks for sharing!

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My name is Mellissa Sevigny, and I use my culinary powers for good here at IBIH by creating delicious and satisfying low carb & keto recipes. If you’re looking to lose weight, feel amazing, AND eat some of the best food you’ve ever tasted – you’ve come to the right place. Welcome! Dig deeper →